You are probably familiar with the favourite fruit, the Raspberry (Rubus idaeus). The raspberry is native to many parts of Europe and Northern America. A century-old remedy, leaves of the raspberry plant are useful as a medicinal herb. Furthermore, the raspberry leaf may have many different properties, including those that are beneficial for pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Many think that raspberry leaf, if taken regularly through pregnancy and labour, can help with:

• Ease the symptoms of morning sickness.
• Sooth and prevent bleeding gums, which many pregnant women often experience.
• Relax the smooth muscles of the uterus when it is contracting (Burn & Withell, 1941).
• Assist with the birth of the baby and the placenta.
• Calm the uterus’ cramping.
• Provide a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium. The magnesium content is especially helpful in strengthening the uterine muscles. Raspberry leaf also contains vitamins B1, B3, and E, which are valuable in pregnancy.

Raspberry leaf is also thought useful for:

• Aiding fertility.
• Promote a plentiful supply of breastmilk.
• Help stop excess bleeding after birth.
• Treat diarrhoea.
• Regulate an irregular menstrual cycle and decreases heavy periods.
• Relieve sore throats.
• Reduce fever.

Around one-fifth of pregnant women take some form of raspberry leaf. To help shorten labour and make birth easier. Interestingly the use of this herb for remedial purposes dates back to the sixth century. Recorded benefits in childbirth are a proven aid in maternity in the most ancient of herbal books.

This article is for information purposes only. Please consult your midwife or doctor before taking raspberry leaf.

We thank Myra Parsons (Research Midwife) – who assisted with the preparation of this article.

Is there any research on the effects of Raspberry Leaf?

Research exists on the effects of raspberry leaf extracts on animals and women in the first week after birth (Burn & Withell, 1941; Whitehouse, 1941). Raspberry leaf may cause a relaxant effect on the uterus. Additionally, this relaxant effect causes the uterine contractions of labour to become better coordinated. Labour is subsequently more efficient and shorter. A common assumption is that women who take raspberry leaf will have an improved second and third stage. Consequently, it’s thought to be a reduced risk of bleeding after birth.

Three midwives from Westmead Hospital in Sydney looked at the literature to try to find further research on the use of Raspberry leaf and its effects on labour. They could find no such analysis. These same midwives decided to research raspberry leaf effects. The first study they carried out was an observational study on women who were currently taking raspberry leaf in pregnancy. They compared them to women who did not take any of the forms of the herb. There were 108 women in the study (57 consuming raspberry leaf and 51 who did not). Some women started taking raspberry leaf in their pregnancy as early as eight weeks, and others began as late as 39 weeks. Most women, however, started taking raspberry leaf between 28 and 34 weeks in their pregnancy.

The Research Findings

The findings of the observational study suggested that women consume raspberry leaf herb in pregnancy to help improve labour outcomes. That is, to shorten labour with no identified side effects for the women or their babies. An unexpected finding in this study was that the women in the raspberry leaf group were less likely than the control group to require:

• Artificial rupture of membranes
• Caesarean birth
• Forceps or vacuum birth

Two of the three original midwives (Myra Parsons and Michele Simpson) decided that the next step was to perform a randomised controlled trial, using a larger sample; to substantiate the findings of the observational study. A second study completed earlier this year by Parsons (2000) reports the safety of raspberry leaf tablets (2.4gm daily) taken from 32 weeks of pregnancy until the commencement of labour. There were no side effects identified for mother or baby.

The analysis of the findings suggested that raspberry leaf tablets shortened the second stage of labour by an average of 10 minutes. However, they made no difference to the length of the first stage of labour. Raspberry leaf tablets reduced the incidence of artificial rupture of membranes, forceps, and ventouse births. Although the reduced rate of these interventions did not prove to be statistically significant – the researches states that ‘these results are clinically significant.’

How is Raspberry leaf taken?

Raspberry leaf is available in tablet form, tea bags, loose leaf tea, or as a tincture. Women can purchase raspberry leaves from many health food stores or a health care practitioner. Due to the limited research on the raspberry leaf – the ideal preparation and dosage are not known at this stage.

The following guidelines on consuming raspberry leaf during pregnancy have been taken from Parsons (1999):

• Tablets – Take two 300mg or 400mg tablets with each meal (three times a day) from 32 weeks.
• Teabags – 1st trimester- one cup per day -2nd trimester – two cups per day -3rd trimester – up to 4 to 5 teabag cups throughout the day.
• Loose leaf tea – Bring one cup of water to the boil. Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of the herb. Stir, cover, and let sit for ten minutes (do not boil), strain and sip. Adding sugar or honey many improve the taste. 2 to 3 cups per day is often recommended, especially after 28 weeks of pregnancy.
• Tincture – A tincture is an alcoholic extract of the herb raspberry leaf. The dosage will depend on the strength of the tincture.

Raspberry Leaf has is by naturopaths and herbalists, as well as some midwives and obstetricians. Consult a health care provider regarding the type of preparation and what dosage to take.

When is the best time to start taking Raspberry Leaf?

Many practitioners recommend that raspberry leaf is best commenced at 32 weeks of pregnancy and continued through to birth. Parsons (2000) found that taking raspberry leaf tablets, 2.4gm per day from 32 weeks, produced no side effects. Other practitioners recommend that Raspberry leaf can be started at the beginning of the pregnancy or even in the preconception period. However, at present, there is no known research on the safety of taking Raspberry Leaf earlier in pregnancy. When is the ideal time for a woman to start taking raspberry leaf in pregnancy? What is the correct dosage? These are questions that need to be answered by further research.

Are there any known side effects to Raspberry Leaf?

Both recent studies on Raspberry leaf found that there were no reported side effects (Parsons 1999; Parsons 2000). Anecdotal reports say that Raspberry leaf may cause nausea, increased Braxton Hicks contractions and diarrhoea. But more research is needed involving large numbers of women before we will know if there are any side effects.

Pregnant women need to carefully consider the safety of any herbal products they are using. One of the problems with herbal preparations, in general, is the lack of regulation on their manufacture. Contamination with other substances of some herbal preparations occurs. Reports exist of imported herbal products contaminated with drugs and animal faeces. Therefore, it is essential to go through a reputable retailer when purchasing raspberry leaf.

Raspberry leaves are naturally high in tannins. Tannin can cause constipation. As you may know, pregnant women are already prone to this. The long term safety of consuming tannin is unknown and may be carcinogenic. If you choose a tincture form of Raspberry leaf, be aware that it is alcohol-based. Some preparations are very high in alcohol. Remember that there is no safe level of alcohol in pregnancy.

Reference List

• Burn J. H. & Withell E. R. (1941). A principle in raspberry leaves which relaxes uterine muscle. The Lancet, July 5, pp. 1-3.
• Thomas. C. L. (ed.). (1985). Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary 16th ed. F. A. Davis: Philadelphia.
• www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/raspbe05.html
• http://www.theholisticchannel.com/Herb/Red_Raspberry.htm (website no longer available).
• Parsons, M. (1999). Raspberry leaf. Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond Newsletter, 1(2), pp. 1-2.
• Parsons, M. (2000). [Raspberry leaf]. Emailed report
• Queensland Health. (1997). A healthy start in life: Nutrition for mother and child. Author: Coorparoo.
• Whitehouse, B. (1941). Fragrance: an inhibitor of uterine action. British Medical Journal, Sept 13, pp. 370-371.
• Wilson, M. (1993). Herbal tea consumption during pregnancy. Author: Wollongong.

29th December 2000